A Piano's Heartstrings
by madamefraise
Summary: Rima's journey to reclaim her beloved friend turns out to be more than what she had expected...
1. Chapter 1

A Piano's Heartstrings: Chapter 1

Blood pumped through the fiery veins of Uchiha Itachi as he struggled to come up with a plan to kill his opponent. With a flurry of crows the color of midnight, he disappeared from view, buying time. Meanwhile, eyes the shape of a snake's watched the Uchiha's every move.

The enemy effortlessly blocked an incoming kunai aimed at him, and was careful to avoid the paper bomb positioned right near his feet. He smirked, _This is going to be easy._ Turning quickly on his heels, he gracefully dodged a burst of black flames. Itachi had become desperate enough to use his infamous Amaterasu. Orochimaru chuckled, a deep booming sound; victory was so close, he could taste it as he flickered out his long tongue.

Although Itachi had the advantage with his sharingan, he was also the most injured. Itachi coughed and threw up blood. He had already suffered much from this battle and wondered how long he could last. While he was spewing, Orochimaru took the opportunity and sliced Itachi's legs, blood streaming out in rivulets. The clone exploded in a cloud of smoke.  
"Come out from wherever you are. I know what you're after. Agree with me and it can be yours...", Orochimaru crooned.

Itachi rolled his eyes. He knew every promise coming out from the ex-Akatsuki's mouth was a lie. You didn't need to be a prodigy to determine that. A pain spread out across his forehead and the world became like a smudge on a wet painting; his overuse of the sharingan finally took its toll on Itachi's body. He blinked and regained his sense just as a blow crashed into his back. The pain screamed mercy and burned from the touch of Orochimaru's fist.  
"Oh dear. I expected much more of you Itachi. This will be a warning to your fellow members..."

Orochimaru continued battering Itachi with nothing but pure insanity plastered across his face. With a final crackling blow to Itachi's chest, the great Uchiha fell, hitting the sand with a loud thud. Without a backwards glance, Orochimaru strutted away, the humidity consuming his image until he was nothing but a watery reflection.

The sand felt itchy on Itachi's face, but at the same time warm. He could feel the blood oozing out from the multiple wounds he had received. His crushed lungs and damaged spine made him immobile. Vision started to slip again, and he wondered how Orochimaru had seen through his invisibility technique. If only he had been stronger… As the darkness started to swallow him, he could see a figure far away wearing a dress of the purest white and the softest silvery hair. He sighed and waited for heaven to pick him up as he finally slipped into a deep slumber, his heart struggling to beat out the last few notes of his life...

* * *

Osuri Hatsurima smelled blood, something that had become a talent for her after several years as a medical ninja. She sighed and put on her white robe, dreading to work on a weekend. She discovered the blood a few miles from her home, the Hidden Village of the Sand. She smiled as she passed by the Kazekage's office, noticing the sliver of the face she knew for so long. Gaara probably knew Hatsurima more than herself and was the only one who called her by 'Rima'. She was the only one he had back then.

As she reached the outer gates, she flashed her badge up to the guards. The gate opened quickly as the guards were used to emergency visits outside the village. She reached the site of blood. _As if you could call it a site, more like a pool the color of the darkest rubies_. Rima groaned. This was going to take a while. She used her earth element and cleared the sand to reveal the corpse. _At least I think he's dead_, Rima thought. As she flipped the corpse over, a jolt of surprise greeted her inwards; her patient was none other than the infamous Uchiha Itachi. She would've pondered on whether to just leave him to the ANBU but the slight heave of his chest told her that she would have to treat him as any other life threatened patient. She quickly lifted a stretcher out of sand and rushed him towards the village. When she got to the gate she had to cover the criminal from the guards. The last thing she wanted was to be discovered bringing one of the most notorious criminals into the village.

* * *

Itachi felt as if he was floating. He wondered whether he was still alive or dead. As he struggled to open his eyes, all he could see was black, and then complete white. Everywhere he strained to look was white. A cold object pressed against his forehead; shivers ran down body. Itachi had hoped wherever he was, heaven or hell, would be a little warmer. His body was so numb that he barely felt another object piercing into his skin. In a matter of seconds, drowsiness overtook him and his body slowly shut down against his will.

* * *

Rima quickly shut the door of her house as soon as the stretcher had crossed the threshold. She released the cover and took the Uchiha to the nearest room and laid him out on a clean bed. She then wet a towel and placed it on Itachi's forehead while injecting a tranquilizer.

Snapping on white medical gloves, she cleaned out his wounds, picking out tissues too damaged to save and other debris. Rima reached into her pocket and pulled out a few chakra pills. The wounds could not be healed with the amount of chakra she had right now. Rima flexed her fingers as her hands glowed a soft blue, humming a melody as she carefully re-joined tissues and blood vessels one by one...


	2. Chapter 2

A Piano's Heartstrings: Chapter 2

Rima's fingers glided along the black and white keys of her piano, twinkling out a soft melody. Her body swayed rhythmically with the music, her foot pressed on the pedals slurring the song into a lullaby…

* * *

The warm sunlight glided across the sleeping Uchiha's face, his chest slowly heaving up and down. As a nearby bird took flight from its branch, the sudden shadow awoke him. He fluttered his long eyelashes, opening his eyes and adjusting to the sudden bright light. Itachi laid there silently, listening to a melody drifting into his bedroom from somewhere below him. As he sat up, a pain in his forehead greeted him and reminded him of his previous battle. _Blood, a cackling voice, and then…an angel_. He scoffed. Surely he was hallucinating after the battle. But it still didn't explain how he ended up here and not in the Sand Village jail cell. As if his thoughts were said aloud, a light pattering of footsteps was heard just outside of his room.

"Ah. Good morning Uchiha-san." A quiet voice interrupted the sweet silence. His eyes shot to the source of the voice. A girl about eighteen entered his room, her long silvery hair swishing along her petite lower back. Her white attire proved to the Uchiha that he wasn't hallucinating at all. He acknowledged a slight nod to her direction.

"I hope you are feeling better. Your fatal wounds are healed, but it will take some time before your body returns to its full condition." She reported, as she swiftly, but gracefully, walked towards the bed. Itachi's body became tense; he didn't like such close encounters. Sensing this, Rima slowly backed a step away. She shivered; up close, she saw what most people would describe the notorious Uchiha: _cold_. She was determined not to be intimidated by him.

"May I have your wrist?" Rima asked quietly. Itachi looked up, piercing her blue eyes with his own onyx ones. She let out a gasp. _So much for not being intimidated…._ she thought.

"I-I need to check your pulse…" She whispered out. Itachi raised an eyebrow. She blushed and continued quietly, "You lost a large amount of your blood, so I had to replace it. Your body could reject the foreign blood so I have to check…" Rima's voice quieted again as she mentioned this. Itachi carefully gave his wrist, being ever so tense. Rima hesitated, and then her fingers met the Uchiha's warm skin. Itachi slightly jumped; her fingers were as cold as snowflakes. Rima looked up and reddened.

"I'm sorry. It's for hygienic purposes." She felt the blood pumping in and out, _Ba-dump…ba-dump…_ She smiled. The transfusion had been successful. She beamed at the Uchiha.

"Well, it seems that your transfusion was successful. Would you li-"

"Who are you?" Another sudden acceleration of Rima's heart. His voice was smooth as velvet, nothing she expected from his cold and hard features. She cursed whoever wrote her criminal bingo book for not writing a description of his voice. Besides that, Rima wondered if she could really trust this man. She waved that thought aside.

"Akono…Mui." At least an alias would keep the Akatsuki occupied. Thinking that was all the Uchiha wanted, she started for the door. As she quietly shut the door, she heard a soft "Thank you." She smiled. _Maybe he wasn't so bad after all…_

* * *

Later at the Akatsuki base…

"Are the preparations complete…?" A deep voice asked, eyes with black rings piercing the darkness.

"Yes, Leader-san. All things ready to go, un!" Replied a peppy voice.

"Meet Uchiha and make sure that mission is successful." A tinge of annoyance colored the voice of the man with the strange eyes._ And make sure you don't screw up again_ _like you did last time_, he silently complained.

"Hai!" And a whooshing sound followed after a small bang.

_Ugh, I hate it when he does that, _thought the strange eyed man.

* * *

A warm smell of cinnamon and coffee wafted from downstairs. The Uchiha drooled. _Only a little,_ he thought. His stomach growled in protest as he wiped his mouth; he was starving. Other than that, he was content. He had entered the Village of the Sand without risking detection. This…girl seemed not threatened by him which turned out to be a good and a bad thing. He lost his train of thought as the smell of food became stronger and the door opened, revealing 'Mui' carrying a tray filled with food. She set the steaming tray in front of him.

"Eat up. I didn't know what to put in your coffee so I just kept it black." She turned for the door. "Oh! If you need anything else, just push that button next to your bed." She smiled as she closed the door. As soon as he heard the door shut, he ferociously dug in. Manners did not matter as his stomach growled in delight. Everything was so well done and proportioned, it tasted like restaurant food. He wondered if she lived alone…He ignored that last thought. _The mission, _not_ the girl_. He could care less. Or could he…? He shook his head in frustration.

Meanwhile, Rima heard several knocks on the door.

"Coming!" She ran quickly to the door, suddenly elated. She peered through the eyehole and smiled; it was Gaara. She opened the door.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" She giggled.

"Oh. Have you already forgotten Rima-chan?" Gaara looked worried, making Rima panic. She hoped she wasn't forgetting anything too…

"You're supposed to help me decorate the town hall for the annual masquerade, Rima-chan."

…important. An earlier memory showed her and Gaara in front of a blueprint and a whiteboard with colorful markers scribbled all over it. She groaned.

"I totally forgot. Sorry Gaara-chan, I was so…busy last night that it slipped my mind." Rima chose her words carefully.

"With what? Were you-" Rima's heart stopped. ,"-up all night with another composition?" She tried hard not to let a relieved sigh out. She chuckled nervously.

"Ah, how did you know?" She wiped her clammy palms against her dress. "Uh, let's get going then. No time to waste!" Rima exclaimed, hoping her sudden enthusiasm would mask her suspicion. She stepped out and shut the door a little harder than usual, attempting to alert her secret patient that she would be stepping out for a bit. However, Rima had forgotten that his room was right above the door where her patient had heard everything that was exchanged between Rima and Gaara...

* * *

"…already forgotten Rima-chan?"

_Rima?_ Itachi mentally asked. He peered out his window and saw the Kazekage talking to the so called 'Mui'. As he listened in on the conversation, he realized that 'Mui' was just an alias. A groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose. _How could I have fallen for that?_ Of course she wasn't going to give out her real name. But there was an upside to this conversation. _Hmmm.._.a_ masquerade_. It was his perfect chance. But what he needed wasn't coming until sundown. He looked out the window to the bight sun, signaling the afternoon. Itachi would only have to wait a few hours before _he_ came. He smirked as he started to plan for tonight's main event…


	3. Chapter 3

A Piano's Heartstrings: Chapter Three

A wave of dust coated Rima's eyelashes and nose as she dusted the ancient chandeliers. She sneezed, causing her ladder to dangerously wobble back and forth.

"You okay Ri-" Another sneeze interrupted Gaara's sentence, his face twisted with concern. Rima's eyes watered as she recovered from her sneeze. She looked down at her dear friend in the midst of wiping the mosaics, "Maybe I should…"

"Yeah. Hold On." Gaara answered, almost reading her thoughts as he held out his hand for hers. Rima gently landed onto the marble floor with a tap. His warm hand felt so lovely compared to her ever cold ones. _I wished I had been up further_…Rima shook her head. Gaara probably had many things to do, as head of the village. She wouldn't dare distract him from his civic duties.

Her hand began to swirl clockwise, shining the poor dirty tiles. The spinning motion reminded her of _his_ red eyes. A moment of worry was shown through her creased forehead. She was sure Itachi's injury wouldn't allow him movement from the hips down. _Would he try to escape…?_ A voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Rima-chan? Are you okay?" Gaara's face was full of concern today. It bothered her that she was distracting him.

"Oh…I'm fine. Why…?" Rima half-heartening replied.

"You've been polishing the same spot for almost ten minutes. Are you sure you don't want to go home? You've done…" He glanced at the unfinished polishing, dusting and decorating. His forehead creased as he tried to think of something nice to say to her unfinished work. "You've done enough." He said a little sheepishly. She looked back at him blankly, her thoughts still far away from the town hall ballroom. Gaara stepped down and held Rima's hand, snapping her back to the room.

"Huh? Oh, I'm really sorry Gaara-san. I'm just not feeling well I guess." His tongue clucked in disapproval.

"No matter how many times I tell you Rima, you can't work yourself to death. You're falling asleep here. You're allowed to tell people you can't all tend to them." Gaara scolded.

"But, I can't turn them down! It's just not…fair."

His face softened; Gaara wished she was more selfish. "Well, take this week off. There are always other medical ninja." Rima looked up, worried. "I couldn't possibly-"

"Rima, how long has it been since you've been on vacation? Take it this time. Go home and rest. You have a few hours before the ball starts."

Rima's face drooped at his immediate dismissal. She felt horrible that he would have to get someone else to do it, or even worse, finish everything by himself. She dragged her feet out the door, like a kicked puppy. As she stepped outside, her eyes were blinded by the late afternoon sun. Her eyes were still adjusting as she walked out, making her vision spotty.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" She bumped into a farmer sending, literally, the fruits of his labor down onto the dusty ground. Her hands were quick to grab all the fruits for the old man. _How odd...we never get fresh fruits like these in the desert..._

"No worries dear", the man stiffly replied. She looked up to the man's face. His salt and pepper hair covered his left eye and as he stood up, it revealed an eye patch.

"Oh, is your eye okay sir? I could heal it for free, as an apology for dropping all of your fruits."

The man chuckled, a strange sound, almost forced. "It's alright, though it is very kind of you to ask. Thank you anyway." His smile quickly vanished as he left the opposite direction of Rima.

_How strange…I've never seen him before_. Rima stared at him as he hobbled his way through the busy marketplace. _Ah well, no use wondering_. She walked briskly back to her house, stopping every now and then to greet her past patients.

* * *

"Damn, un! I think she got suspicious. I knew I should've picked someone else!" Cried the blondie angrily.

"No one farms here; of course she would get suspicious Deidara-san." The Uchiha replied quite coolly.

The man named Deidara leaned against the blank wall. "At least I'm not bedridden."

Itachi twitched at the last word. He was eager to go out and train, instead of wasting his time here. His injuries had darkened his mood significantly. All he could do now was glare at Deidara, watching as he blew up his tiny clay 'art'. _More like toys…_He thought, not daring to say it out loud. A clear voice halted Deidara's breathing.

"I'm home!" Itachi gave a look to Deidara, hurrying him up as he could hear Rima's feet lightly pattering up the stairs. Deidara climbed out the window as soon as Rima had opened the door.

"I'm sorry, I came home so early. I thought you would try to escape." The Uchiha gave an annoyed face, _As if I could go anywhere in the first _. Rima misunderstood this as a sign of hunger. "Oh, I'm sorry," she bowed apologetically to Itachi, "You must be hungry. Is there anything you would like for me to make…?" Her question hung in the air for the longest second.

Sinking down, the Uchiha quietly replied, "Anything would be fine."

As Rima left the room, his held up breath escaped in a long _whoosh!_. "You better leave more quickly next time."

The blondie stuck his head inside from the window. He shrugged.

"I didn't know she would be coming here so fast, un. I even had her patients stop her a few times." He caught Itachi's glare and retreated from the house a bit. "Okay, okay, chill un. She didn't find out." Another glare. "I'll see you later." Deidara finally squeaked as he left swiftly from the house.

Itachi sighed with displeasure as he saw his accomplice leave, two legs fully functioning. He tried moving his own, failing quite miserably.

* * *

Rima took another long glance in the mirror; she had only a few minutes to finish things up. A woman in a scintillating gown and matching mask faced her. Her gown was very western styled, poofy and decorative. It was heavy too, being adorned with a few hundred crystals, specially sewn in for Rima. The gown itself was of a soft gold, crystals tinkling together as she swished her dress, eager to see the modest square cut back. Her neck was fully exposed with a sweetheart neckline along with tight sleeves, ending in silky waves, showing off her delicate wrists. Bouncy curls framed her pale face with an intricate bun kissing the back of her head, strands licking the back of her neck. She checked herself one last time before she gracefully walked down the steps.

"You look...beautiful."

She looked up and saw Gaara waiting for her at the foot of her staircase, a hint of a smile on his masked face. She was sure she hadn't let anyone in, but there he was in his much simpler black and white tuxedo. Nothing more, nothing less. Gaara offered his hand the last few steps down. She grinned,_ another reason to hold his hand_. She savored the moment by walking slowly down the steps. Gaara raised his eyebrow, but Rima was too embarrassed to tell him; she simply blushed a delicate pink.

She ran a checklist making sure her patient had what he needed until she arrived back home. With one last glance upstairs, she exited the house, holding onto Gaara's arm for balance. Meanwhile, things were getting quite complicated for the men upstairs…

"Now you tell me, un? This had better be worth my time, and you owe me, un." Deidara glared as he shrugged onto his tuxedo jacket.

"I thought you knew. You were in town after all." Itachi replied, a slight headache forming from this small, yet pointless conversation.

"Man, I wanted the big entrance, un. The whole she-bang!" Deidara added his own sound effects to describe his fantasy entrance.

"You'll have to do something with your appearance." Itachi stated, ignoring the small explosion. He was sure Rima knew all the members of the Akatsuki. After all, she was still a ninja.

"Damn, un. I hate doing that, it wastes my chakra." With that, Deidara exchanged his long blonde hair, with a short and choppy black haircut. However, he had difficulty disguising his eye, his permanent mechanical left eye, but managed to procur a black feathery mask.

Itachi raised his eyebrows at the ostentatious decor.

"What? It is a masquerade, isn't it?" Deidara countered. Still adjusting his mask to fit his face, he climbed out the window again, giving a playful salute to the Uchiha. Itachi frowned as he watched Deidara jump off the windowsill. He waited for sleep to find him…at seven o' clock. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

"Yes, thank you for coming, have a great night." Rima said almost mechanically to the going couple. She sighed, O_nly a few more to go_, she though. She checked her list and thought she was going to faint. She was not even halfway through the list! Sometimes, being friends with the Kazekage had its drawbacks. She yawned, catching Gaara's attention.

"Have you finished yet?" He scanned her list and laughed. "Here, let's trade. I'm almost done with mine." She nodded tiredly and walked over to the other side of the entrance. As she was counting the number of couples left, a cheery voice made her look up to greet it.

"Good evening milady." The figure bowed and surfaced to reveal a young man wearing a dark feathered mask.

"Oh, good evening to you also." She curtsied, returning the greeting. She glanced around. "And where might your date be…?"

He scratched his head, "Oh, I didn't know this was a couples only ball." She raised her eyebrow. She was sure she had sent out all the invitations with all the details.

"Are you a tourist…?"

"Aye." He replied, a smile playing on his lips. "I was in town when everyone was buzzing about it. It seems I came on the right day." He winked at her, making her blush furiously.

"H-have a great night then, and I, uh, hope you, uh, enjoy your visit!" Rima managed to stutter out.

The man bowed to her again, and walked down the grand staircase, catching female attention while he was at it. She sighed. She would have to monitor the man and Gaara. Fan club girls were so feisty these days. Speaking of which, a girl caught her eye, her corset cut so low, Rima glared at her as she walked up to the Kazekage. She huffed, and trying to stomp as delicately as she could towards her direction. Rima gently pried the girl's hands off of Gaara's chest. He looked relieved.

"I'm sorry, but the Kazekage has some important matters to attend to now. I'm sorry if I had interrupted your conversation." Rima directed this to the girl with as much venom as she could muster. The girl was taken back for a second and glared at Rima. With her nose high in the air, she dragged her own poor date down the stairs.

"Thank you Rima." Gaara let a gust of air. "I thought she would never stop touching me." He shivered at the thought.

"No problem, but I think she's the new addition to your fan club." Rima pointed out the girl hanging out and talking with the unofficial President and Vice President of Gaara's fan club: Utara Kyoko and Osaka Nami. Of course, the official President and V.P. were the one and only Kankuro and Tamrai, who were walking over to their side, observing the current attendance.

"Jeez, looks like a full house from here. You guys did a nice job." Temari smiled as she embraced Rima. Rima always loved Temari and Kankuro, although Kankuro had a habit of staring at Rima one too many times. Temari let go and glared at Kankuro.

"Kankuro, aren't you going to say hi?" Temari asked, nudging her brother but Kankuro ignored her and started off towards a group of girls. Temari sighed.

"So I guess 'same old, same old'?" Rima suggested.

"Yeah, he's been so enthusiastic about this ever since last week. He even took off his face paint for once." Rima giggled. Temari gave an apologetic look, which Rima just smiled at.

"It's fine. I guess we'll have to understand male hormones too."

Temari burst out laughing. As she caught her breath, she turned her attention to her little brother. "Have fun, okay? Don't let the pressure of you being Kazekage ruin your night. I'll take care of everything." Temari winked as she ruffled his red hair. Gaara growled in annoyance. He tried flattening his hair out.

"I hate it when she does that. It's as if she thinks I'm still five years old."

Rima sighed. "At least you have siblings." Gaara looked up and apologized.

"Sorry, I forgot-" She waved her hand, pushing his apology away.

"It's fine." She half-smiled. It reminded her of her parents…or what was left of her parents. _They're probably rotting away in their jail cells by now_…

Walking away towards her spot at the door, she tried adding more enthusiasm to her voice, concealing the wounds Gaara had just opened.

* * *

A sudden feedback from the microphone quieted the chattering crowd. Gaara cleared his throat. "Thank you all for attending the annual Masquerade. We hope you all enjoy this last dance as we close this evening's events." As the words left his lips, a strings trio started playing a soft and slow melody; perfect for the twinkling evening. A soft hand snaked around Rima's waist. She smiled as she quickly turned around to hug her mystery person.

"Gaara, tonight was great! You were so-"

"I'm not the Kazekage." Rima turned around to the teasing voice.

She halted. She was so sure it was Gaara's hand at her waist but as she looked up, she met eyes with the feathered masked man again. Rima felt her face flush crimson.

"Oh, I'm s-sorry. Thought you were someone else." Sweat beaded on her forehead, a sign of her embarrassment. She turned on her heels, fanning her flaming face.

"Wait! I was wondering if you would dance with me." The mysterious hand gripped hers and swung her into a slow waltz, matching tempo with the cello.

"Oh!" He was quite the dancer; Rima was surprised.

"So…what's your name?" A swirl and one two three, one two three…

"Hatsurima. I'm the head medical ninja here at the Sand Village." Another swish of her skirt. His face inched closer to hers. Rima blushed from the sudden intimacy and looked down in embarrassment.

"You're quite cute when you're flustered." He chuckled. "My name is Dasuki by the way." As the trio started a slower waltz, his head lowered to rest on Rima's shoulder. They were slowly swaying, oblivious to the waltz. His slow breath tickled Rima as he pulled his head up to meet her eyes. A passionate look replaced the man's previous cheery expression. Her heart skipped a beat, as she looked away, embarrassed. His hand coaxed her chin to turn in his direction, tilting up so his lips could reach hers. _Ahh! What about Gaara?, _her subconsciousness asked, but she sighed as she felt his soft lips curve against hers. He gripped her back tighter pressing her into him, his other hand slithering up her neck. Rima snapped her eyes open as she felt a prick at her neck. Poison.

"Yummy kiss, though I can't let you interfere with my plans, un." The man walked Rima, paralyzed by the poison, out of the ballroom and down a steep staircase. She tried to scream, hoping someone would see her, but the poison was too quick and thorough. Water leaked from the ceiling which landed in her hair, and dripped all the way down her face. The man set her down and ripped a part of her dress to use as a gag. Her saliva backed up into her throat, making her choke.

"Now you be good and don't interfere, un."

As his footsteps faded away, tears started to make their way down to meet the cold stones…

* * *

A loud bang interrupted the musical trio. Deidara ripped his mask off, his blonde hair returning to its original length. He hopped onto his clay bird, gasps coming from around the room as he hovered right over to the center.

_Excellent. At least I get a grand finale…_

"As the last event tonight, ladies and gentlemen," He saw Gaara and his siblings make their way hastily through the crowd, "I will make the Fifth disappear!" He swooped down towards Gaara. Gaara signaled his siblings to protect the people, as he quickly summoned sand to block the kidnap attempt. If this was a battle, it had to be away from the people. Sensing this, Deidara swooped out the double doors, Gaara quickly following suit. The people were screaming as Kankuro and Temari scanned the ballroom for Rima. Temari's heart leaped to her throat.

_Rima's gone._

She glanced over to Kankuro, meeting his panicked face as he too realized. He gave her a nod, giving her permission to leave. Kankuro moved his fingers expertly, dancing along the chakra strings, trapping the crowd like a flock of sheep. Temari weaved in and out of the crowd, ditching her ball gown for a sleeker suit.

_Where are you Rima…?_

"Rima? Rima!" Temari's voice echoed throughout the abandoned hallway, underneath the ballroom. It was cold and damp, reminding her of a dungeon. She shivered, not wanting to know who or what lied beyond the dark abyss. She walked around, her footsteps muffled by the puddles of water. Her foot met something warm and soft. Temari gulped.

_Oh, I hope it's not a rat, please not a rat-_

A muffled noise interrupted her thoughts. Oh. She was stepping right on Rima's foot. She let out a sigh of relief as she picked Rima up, undoing her gag.

"He poisoned me!" Temari gave a confused look. "The man in the black feathered mask, where is he?" Rima demanded.

"He's outside, with Gaara. Hurry, I'll stay here and protect the people." Temari switched outfits with Rima, and watched her as she sprinted up the stairs.

_I hope she makes it in time._ Temari prayed.

* * *

Rima pushed her way through the crowd, receiving muttering about rudeness and manners. She couldn't care less; her objective right now was to assist Gaara. She pushed the heavy doors to see a hot battle in process. A man with long blonde hair, whom she knew as Deidara from her bingo book, was riding on a clay bird and throwing explosives at Gaara.

"Damn, un! Two against one isn't fair!" Deidara exclaimed, as he looked up to see his other opponent.

Gaara looked back as Deidara was momentarily distracted by needles of sand. Rima was right behind him, a look of deep concentration masked on her face. His lips twitched into a smile, as he too started performing hand seals. From behind, Rima recognized his hand signs, and worked on her own also. Gaara sent a wave of sand towards the Akatsuki member, luring him to the spiked walls Rima had set up. As the wave buried him into the wall, a voice came from behind.

"You'll have to try harder than that, un." Deidara said, yawning as he sent two of his largest clay birds straight towards Rima.

"Rima look out!" Gaara warned, but she was too late. A wall of sand protected her, a second before the two birds crashed, sending a loud boom throughout the village. A few lights turned on, people leaning out their windows to get a better look at the battle.

A soft chuckle escaped from Deidara's mouth as he struck Gaara. He scooped him up and blew a kiss goodbye towards Rima. She gagged.

"Thanks for the kiss, un. I enjoyed it very much." He laughed as he observed Rima's facial expression. "Adios!"

"Wait!" She cried out, sending a few needles but the cloaked figure easily dodged it.

Rima watched Gaara fly away with Deidara into the distance. Her heart suddenly ached, leaving her gasping and sobbing on the ground.

"Wait…No. Dammit. No!" A tear slid down her face, leaving a salty trail.

"No." She whispered.

"No…"


	4. Chapter 4

A Piano's Heartstrings: Chapter 4

Rima watched the sun bloom into brilliant reds, pinks and yellows as she sat in front of the Town Hall. Most people were still asleep in their warm, safe beds at this time. Rima was all alone in the town, even her mind and her heart had left her, leaving only a shell of herself.

She sniffed and wiped her swollen eyes once again as she stood up. Her legs groaned in protest but she slowly moved them to the direction of her house. Rima realized she would have to return her suit to Temari, but just seeing her would remind her of Gaara. Her eyes started swimming in a lake of tears but she stopped them. Crying wasn't going to do anything._ I have to do something to rescue him_, she thought as she stepped into her kitchen. Rima's attention then began to become focused on a prescription bottle on top of the counter. _His _prescription bottle. During the operation, she noticed his cornea was heavily damaged due to overuse of sharingan; she couldn't resist a challenge. A hint of a smile grew on Rima's face as she lightly made her way up the staircase, with hope in her heart.

A creak signaled her arrival. Rima heard a ruffle of sheets as she crossed over the small threshold.

"How are you feeling?"

Itachi stared; that was his question, was it not?_ Her voice is too calm_, Itachi thought. He examined Rima, noticing her tangled hair, red eyes, and missing pieces of fabric on her suit. He concluded the mission successful though he stayed impassive.

"Fine." He breathed out.

"So." Rima began, her eyes locked onto Itachi's as she leaned against the doorframe. "That was the Akatsuki's stunt, wasn't it?" He acted confused.

"What stunt? I was here in bed this whole time. It would've been nice if you lent me a wheelchair." Itachi answered innocently, though his eyes betrayed such innocence. She laughed.

"Don't act like you didn't know Uchiha-san. He was definitely from the Akatsuki. Deidara, male, Iwagakure. Ninja files are so useful these days." Rima replied darkly as she rolled her eyes. "Take me there. The Akatsuki base. You have what I need. I have what you need." Stating this, she twirled the bottle in her hands. The Uchiha glared at the inanimate object.

"That is out of the question Osuri-san. I don't need the medicine either way."

Rima raised an eyebrow. "Your cornea is deteriorating at a fast rate. Surely, you don't see the affects even now?"

Itachi growled. She was right; his perfect eyesight had started slipping a few months ago. He hated wearing contacts as they clouded his sharingon. And his headaches...worse and frequent…

He swiftly reached for the bottle, but it disappeared before he had even been halfway. Rima's eyes burned like a raging forest fire, burning through all her alliances and status; she loved him too much, even Itachi could tell and she would stop at nothing to get him back. Even if it banned her from her home forever.

"I'll take you," Itachi said slowly, Rima's lips curving upwards, "but you must remain at the base until we dispose of you. I'm sure the other members would vote against your stay there." Rima flinched at the word _dispose._

_At least it's my life not his_, her heart reasoned, though her mind had argued against it. She hesitantly gave the bottle to the Uchiha, who quickly snatched it away. He impatiently ripped the top open, popping a single pill out. His eyebrow rose as he studied the innocent pill.

"Only one…?" he asked.

"To make sure you keep your end of the bargain." Rima smirked. "Don't even think about taking that to Sasori; he won't be able to copy my original medication." Itachi growled angrily and swallowed the small pill, a grimace plastered onto his face as he tasted the bitterness of the pill.

As Rima turned away towards the door she whispered quietly to the Uchiha, so he couldn't hear. "The medicine matches your heart Uchiha-san. As bitter as your heart…" A tear slid down, splashing onto the floor. The solitary tear brought in a storm within Rima's eyes…

* * *

"Uh huh. Hopefully there will be a substitute available. Yeah, I'll be fine- no, it doesn't bother me…that much. Love you, miss you, bye." Rima slammed the receiver down as she sprinted out the door, picking her bags up along the way. She was prepared for her 'vacation' with her 'friend'. At least that was what she had told Temari over the phone. A sudden wave of guilt washed over Rima as she realized she would probably never see Temari and Kankuro again. _It's better off…that way_, she thought. She didn't need any more reminders of Gaara; breathing and talking reminders. The cold air slid off her old ANBU suit, but it still gave Rima the chills. Or could it be the darkness of the night exaggerating the pair of red eyes in the distance? She stealthily snuck past the guards; Rima shook her head at their snoring performance. It was a wonder the city was never infiltrated until now. She flipped over the tall walls and landed with a soft thud onto the cool desert sand. Swishing feet over sand greeted Rima.

"How long are you able to continually run?" asked the sinful voice. At least in Rima's ears they were sinful. No man was allowed to have such a seductive voice.

"A while…" Rima asnwered quite dreamily, still under the effects of his voice. He nodded, and started sprinting off into the east. Itachi was annoyed by his slower pace, but it was his fastest at the moment. His wounds hadn't healed completely though any other person would still consider his pace fast. A white blur past by Itachi, but slowed to his pace. They were neck and neck now. His eye twitched in annoyance. Rima chuckled. Dark sand kicked up and flew past them, their footprints leaving nothing behind…

* * *

Itachi observed his surroundings again, which felt like the twenty-fifth time to him. Light snoring directed his attention on the silvery haired female lying next to a tree just a few feet away. Her hair splayed out around her fragile looking body. It seemed silly; a doctor looking so fragile. _You would think her patients would doubt her medical skills_, he joked. A sudden glint of light caught his attention again; she was crying. He walked over carefully, bending his torso down so his fingers could sweep the single tear away. As if Rima had felt his presence, her hands automatically clamped around Itachi's.

"What have you done to him?" She whimpered. "Where is he…no, don't tell me. NO. Stop, it hurts, stop! I just want to see him, let me see him- NO DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HIM!" Rima hysterically cried out, her echoes scaring the nearby wildlife. Her hysteria passed and she began to sob into Itachi's shoulders. He remained still, unsure whether to wake her up or let her continue.

He eventually closed his arms around her frame, his fingers stroking her hair gently. It seemed familiar to Itachi; the same hands had stroked his brother's soft hair as he slept. As he was hit by a wave of nostalgia, a hole in his heart re-opened. "It's been so long since I've seen him...", he quietly murmured. _Now how long has it been now...?_

An unusually strong wind swept through the branches, swirling petals around the two ninjas. Immediately, Itachi stood up, carrying Rima; there were no flowers in the dead of winter. The sudden speed and lift woke Rima. She rubbed her eyes and scrambled to get off of the Uchiha once her eyes met his above. She blushed and was about to apologize when his hand pressed tightly against her mouth. She struggled to free his grip.

"Be quiet. It seems as though we are being followed." His fierce red eyes pointed to the follower. A fan wielder stood amongst the summoned blossoms. Her blond hair pointed out from her head, her purple attire flew with the wind. It was Temari. Rima could feel her throat tighten as a feeling of betrayal landed with a thud on her heart. Itachi set Rima down, despite her whispered protests. Rima jumped down from the tree clumsily and started wobbling over to Temari, but jumped back just in time to dodge a sudden gust of wind. Her eyes met Temari's furious ones and Rima flinched; Rima could see the moisture that gathered in Temari's eyes and felt her heart ache again.

"How could you Hatsurima? How could you do this to me?" Temari blew another spine breaking gust towards Rima, which she easily jumped over.

"Temari, it's not what you-"

"Then what is it? He practically helped Blondie kidnap Gaara. How could you join him?" Another gust of wind blew past Rima, meters away. Temari's eyes were overflowing with tears, blurring her focus.

"Temari, please, it's not that. I'm not joining anything." Temari's swollen eyes challenged Rima's. Rima quietly continued. "I'm going to get Gaara back, Temari. Honest. I won't give up until he's back safely to the Sand Village. Besides, who else could run it? Kankuro?" She chuckled weakly at her attempt at humor. Rima stepped towards Temari, whose shoulders heaved up and down as she sobbed into Rima's shoulder. Rima reached her arms around Temari, just like old days. The two girls stood there embracing. Even the cruel winter air could not touch them. After a few minutes, they pulled away. Temari wiped her nose on her sleeve smiling, hiccuping.

"Just come back Hatsurima. Come back to us afterwards." Temari pleaded, her eyes still filled with heartbreak despite her smile.

Rima's heart tightened as she heard the request that she could not fulfill. She just curved her lips upwards as best as she could as she fled the clearing, a dark shadow following her. Rima turned her face away so the new tears would not show...

* * *

A pair of eyes pierced the darkness of the cave, black rings hypnotizing Rima as she stepped closer to the figure, following the steps of her guide. A cluck of disapproval echoed throughout the cave.

"Itachi-san, it is not like you to skip on a mission. Nor is it you to bring this…" The eyes scanned up and down Rima, who shivered instinctively. "…woman." Itachi grinded his teeth.

"I was delayed. Orochimaru interfered with my arrival and I was severely injured. This woman tended my wounds." Rima waited for Itachi to state her own personal request, the whole reason she had tended his wounds and ran away from home. She was smacked with silence instead.

"Very well." The other man seemed amused. "Take her away to the extra room. She will remain until we find a use for her." Rima cleared her throat and spoke.

"I also have a demand, sir." The dizzying eyes focused onto her. She took a deep breath and steadied her shaking hands. "I wish to take the Kazekage…back." The final word came out more quietly than she had expected. Her confidence began to slip when the mysterious eyes glared at the Uchiha. Itachi stepped in front of Rima protectively; he wasn't going to skimp out on his end of the bargain quite yet.

"I'm sorry Leader-san. Please excuse her." And he bowed and whisked Rima through heavy double doors into a long brightly lit hallway. The fancy stone floors reflected her furious expression. He opened another door quickly and scanned the hallway. Finding no one, he shoved Rima inside. Once the door was shut and locked, Itachi's calm mask slipped away.

"Would you like to explain what you tried to do just now?", he demanded.

Rima calmly walked over to the bed, resting on top of the soft covers.

"What I came here for. No Kazekage, no medicine." She stretched and laid down, enjoying the plush pillows._ Who knew criminal headquarters were so comfy?_

Itachi sat down on a nearby chair, his face faced the floor as his hands covered his burning forehead."It's not that easy. There is a high possibility that he could die, Hatsurima-san. And taking away an accomplishment from our Leader…is not recommended." He struggled harder to speak as his breath came out in shorter gasps. "Our project is of important matters to…him, after all, it's what…what he's been doing for the past couple of…of…" Rima snapped her head towards Itachi as he slipped from his chair. His breathing was irregular and frantic, excruciating pain coming from his eyes as he struggled to get back up. She rushed over to his side and helped him up. Using her sleeve as a handkerchief, she wiped away the sweat that began to bead on his forehead. He clutched his throat as he made a drinking motion with his other hand. A pitcher of water was visible a few feet away on a nightstand. Without taking her eyes off her patient, she grabbed it, dripping the water into his parched throat. She tore a piece of her suit and poured the cool water onto it, using it to regulate his temperature. Rima turned the make-shift towel over, wiping sweat from his brow with it. Itachi's breathing slowed down and his forehead evened out as she stroked his hair aside. It was a familiar gesture…

"How are you feeling, Uchiha-san?"

He fluttered his eyelids open, his normally cold hard eyes softening into a black fog. "…Better." He managed to croak. The fire had subsided from his body, but he felt oddly disoriented by his lack of clear vision. It was comfortable, he had to admit, laying down on Rima's lap. Long black hair, warm eyes, a soft hug…slight glimpses of his past. His mother. However, even though the person holding Itachi had silver hair and blue eyes, everything still felt the same. _Perhaps…?, _ he wondered. No, it was a ridiculous thought. People couldn't come back from the dead, could they? He looked at Rima again, studying every feature on her face. She was nothing like his mother, no, it wasn't possi-

"Is there something wrong?" Rima asked nervously. Perhaps he had been observing for a little bit longer than he thought. Her cheeks blushed a faint pink.

Oh, he was still staring at her. Itachi quickly averted his eyes to the ceiling. Rima sighed softly, and began to stand up, propping the Uchiha into a sitting position.

"I'll…just be around. Your medicine will be on the nightstand, so just take that in a few hours," She looked back at Itachi from the doorway, "and I'll find somewhere else to sleep tonight so try not to overwork yourself." Her silvery hair brushed against the door as she left Itachi. A strange feeling of yearning quickly followed Rima's absent. He lifted his fingers onto his own satin skin to experiment. It was awkward as he tried to remember his mother's fingers. Itachi traced them down his cheek and his nose. Failing to recapture that moment, he sighed and plopped himself onto the bed, a mouthwatering vanilla scent entering his nose. How strange. He never noticed Rima's perfume before. It had a calming effect as his muscles began to relax. He breathed in more deeply this time, inhaling more of the scent. Itachi let go of every fiber of his body as he began to drift unconsciously in a lake of memories, some of things he cherished while some he wished never happened. A flash of silvery hair was mixed in too…

* * *

Rima aimlessly wandered the elegant hallway. Her mind drifted to what happened a few minutes ago...

The way Itachi had looked at her when she cared for him was strange. Rima swore she saw tenderness in his eyes, with a little naivety. Her cheeks burned as she also remembered how long he had been staring at her. Rima slapped her cheeks with both her hands, trying to distract herself from that particular memory. She examined the tiles at her feet and noticed ho her face easily reflected on the glossy floors, like a spotless mirror. She wondered how the Akatsuki renovated this inhabitable cave. _And who kept it spotlessly clean_. _Among geniuses, I guess one of them was bound to have been diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder._ She giggled and wondered if Itachi was the one who always had to clean up after his fellow members. Alhough the picture of a mother hen didn't exactly fit with Itachi's image.

A chandelier sparkled behind railings at the end of the hallway, with a staircase curving downwards on the left. She scoffed. _The Akatsuki is really living in a life of luxuries. _She glanced down over the railings, spotting a few designer sofas surrounding a long coffee table and a blue head reclining in one of them.

_The fish._ Rima thought. _Oh the joy…_

She quietly walked down the marble stairs but slipped on the last glossy step. She expected the impact of the hard floor, but a pair of strong arms caught her.

"My, my, who hired the clumsy one?"

She looked up to see two rows of pointed teeth. She yelped.

"And startled. Wouldn't blame you, un." Rima's stomach tightened in response to the last voice. She slowly turned her head to the voice coming beneath the staircase. He was here. She struggled under the blue arms' strong grip. The blue man chuckled.

"Calm down newbie. I'm sure you'll be able to see Deidara later." He tightened his grip, but it didn't mean it restricted her ability to talk.

"You! Where is the Kazekage?" Rima edged her question with iron laces. Her hatred for Deidara would've burned right through the other man holding her, easily turning him into fish sticks.

Deidara walked over and pinched her cheek teasingly."Don't worry un. You'll never see your boyfriend again, so how about a date with me, un?"

Rima turned her face quickly and bit down hard on his finger.

"Holy shit, un! I was joking. No one would date a friggin monster like you anyway." Blood dripped from his fingers as Rima glared at the blond. Noticing this, Kisame wrapped his arms around her tighter and lifted her up the stairs. She kicked the air, flailing as she tried to escape.

"Easy now. Leader-san wouldn't be too happy if we spilled blood here. He…" Kisame trailed off, followed by a shudder that shook Rima. Kisame left it to her imagination to complete his unfinished sentence. As they reached the hallway, Kisame gently placed Rima onto the ground, blocking all access to the staircase.

"I would suggest that you stay inside your room for the time being, until we figure out what to do with you."

"Um…Uchiha-san is currently residing in my room at the moment. He…wasn't feeling well. I'm sorry but is there any other room I can stay in?" Rima didn't really care where she slept but it had to be some distance away from Deidara. Her stomach tightened as she remembered what he had taken away from her. Or rather, who. Kisame looked at Rima hesitantly as he looked down the hallway, looking for a room.

"Ah, well, we have no other rooms available, so Itachi-san's room is the only one that's not occupied right now. Follow me."

She obediently followed him down the hall and stopped at a dark wood door, similar to every other door decorating the hallway. He popped a key from his pocket and inserted into the lock above the doorknob. The room inside was dark; curtains were drawn and the color palette was dark and rich. It reflected the Akatsuki cloaks: ruby and black. Rima wondered if he was secretly obsessed with his position in the Akatsuki. Kisame turned to her and placed a small and metallic object in her hand. It took her eyes awhile to realize she was looking at the key.

"That's Itachi's so make sure you give it back tomorrow." He turned for the door, and said something to Rima that surprised her. "I'm sorry about your…friend. I would try to stop Leader-san, but you know how he is. Or maybe not, but I truly apologize for what this organization has done to you. We're really not that harsh…", he said sympathetically. An silent moment followed as Rima attempted to process the fact that an Akatsuki member was apologizing to her.

Kisame awkwardly shuffled his feet and then started back out the door, "Well...I'll see you later then", and shut the door.

Rima stood there and wondered if he had said that out of pity or under all the fish skin, he had a kind heart. She groaned. Nothing was typical for the Akatsuki. Extravagent rooms, kind fish men, and comfy furniture. Rima collapsed onto the dark bed, grateful that it had the same exact sheets as her room. A masculine scent lingered within the covers, a musky scent. Rima laid there for a few minutes, enjoying the scent and the soft sheets. After some time she sighed and reluctantly got off the bed and made her way towards the window. It was fairly large and the curtains were of a thick cloth. Blackout curtains. At least one thing here was of a typical criminal hideout. Rima spread the curtains apart, revealing a breathtaking view of the mountains.

The sun started to slip behind the mountains, giving them an orange and pink tint. It was lovely; it reminded her of one of her favorite musical pieces. Rima's mood was suddenly dampened. With all the traveling and panicking, she had all but forgotten about her beloved piano. She placed her fingers on the window sill, closing her eyes as she imagined the keyboard. Her mind drifted as she swayed to the silent melody, her fingers gliding as she notes rang in her mind. The sun coming in from her window, the fresh smell of coffee, and the warm hand on her shoulder…As her fingers slowed to a soft ending, Rima couldn't help but wonder why a heart could never reset itself...


	5. Chapter 5

A Piano's Heartstrings: Chapter 5

_So hot._

Rima woke up to the rising sun shining through her window. She blinked and shielded her eyes but the effort to pull her arms up quickly drained. Her mind was foggy and her eyes were still unfocused, despite her efforts in blinking several times. As Rima tried getting up, she felt soreness blooming across her entire body and her muscles collapsing like jello. She groaned. _I'm sick_, _great_.

She sunk back down and pulled the covers tightly around her, willing her to sleep. As soon as her eyelids started dropping on their own will, the door creaked slowly and she could barely hear the soft footsteps that slowly approached her. Rima twitched slightly as she felt something wet and cold touch her skin.

"If only I had found you earlier...you wouldn't be like this..." Murmured a soft voice.

_Gaara...? _Rima tried to turn towards the man but couldn't muster enough strength to even speak. She felt gentle fingers caress her hair. It felt nice.

As she slowly drifted off to sleep, she could hear the man leave the room.

_Please don't leave me..._

* * *

Rima opened her eyes, her eyes straining to take in the bright afternoon sun.

_Wait. How did I get here?, _Rima frantically asked herself. She rewinded her memory and recalled being by the open window late at night, tears rolling down her cheeks as she cried herself to sleep. A quick glance at the window made Rima feel anxious; the windows were tightly closed. Before Rima had a proper time to assess her situation, a knock at the door interrupted her. Rima felt her muscles tense up as her mind anticipated for her intruder.

Kisame had just opened the door when five shuriken landed right near his face, the tips embedded deeply into the dark wood frame.

"Well I guess this means you're feeling better." Kisame said sheepishly. Rima blushed in embarrassment; the Akatsuki hadn't decided to kill her...yet.

"I-I'm sorry, I hadn't realized it was you-"

"Don't worry about it. So how are you feeling? You had a fever last night and I assume it wasn't exactly a skip through the daisies." Kisame tried his hand at humoring his guest.

Rima was amused and even managed to let out a chuckle. She grabbed a glass of water off of the nightstand.

"Thank you for taking care of me. You have shown more kindness to me than anyone here since I came." Rima spoke softly. Surprisingly, Kisame did not return the girl's thanks.

"I wish I could say it was I who had taken care of you last night, but that would be dishonest. It was actually Itachi-san who made sure you made it through the night."

Rima choked on her water mid-sip. "Wait, who?"

"Itachi-san."

Rima was shocked speechless. After all that happened, it seemed absurd for Itachi to have looked after Rima. _But then again_, Rima thought, _one of the most notorious criminals just came in to check on my well-being._

Kisame chuckled. "Speechless? Itachi just wished to settle his debt to you. He is not one to bargain with when it comes to favors."

Despite Kisame's reassurance, Rima couldn't help but remain confused._ Why would he do this? He could have easily left me to suffer by myself._

After a couple more exchanges between Kisame and Rima, Kisame excused himself leaving Rima with a crowd full of questions in her mind.

* * *

"-prepared for tonight. Now all of you are dismissed."

Itachi blinked in confusion. He had been in a meeting for almost three hours with all the Akatsuki members but he was sure he had only been there for a few minutes. He tried to lean against the wall, trying to steady the dizziness encircling his mind. Pein noticed Itachi and rolled his eyes, which caused a hypnotic motion to any other person besides an Akatsuki member.

"Perhaps you should take more days off for rest." He smirked. "Since the extraction is tonight." Itachi twitched, a tiny movement unfortunately not overlooked by his boss. "Is there a problem?"

"No…though I'm curious to what the survival rate of this one will be."

Pein's smirk grew as his cloak floated around him as his heels turned sharply for the door.

"The same as the other tailed beasts. Zero percent." His footsteps filled the lonely silence.

* * *

Rima sat on the windowsill, humming to herself when a lovely breeze blew in, bringing in the sweet scent of early cherry blossoms. The sun was now glazed the land in its warm farewell as it once again started to sink behind the mountains. Her hand caught stray blossoms, floating gently onto her palm. She sneezed. Darn allergies.

"Are you allergic to pollen?" Rima continued to stare off towards the mountains. Soft green decorated the land in small patches.

Itachi watched Rima intently, pulling his eyes away just as she turned her head to face his. Rima's calm expression wiped off. A suspicious action.

"He's hurt isn't he? Is Gaar-the Kazekage okay?" Her voice slipped as she immediately corrected herself. Itachi turned away from her. Why, after he had stopped caring for no one other than himself, did he want to lie for this one girl?

"We haven't done anything to him yet. Leader-san is waiting for the right opportunity." His throat welled as his mouth spit out such delicate lies. Such fragile strings…

Rima breathed out a long held breath. She attempted to smile but only turned into a half-frown. A cool breeze flew in, bringing the scent of vanilla and cherry blossoms under the Uchiha's nose. Rima sneezed. She sat up and shut the windows quickly, causing the glass the wobble for a few seconds. Itachi sighed as he took a seat on his bed, sinking slightly into the plush comforter. A small object fell into his lap. Itachi looked up at Rima.

"My end of the bargain, remember?" Rima responded, avoiding Itachi's eyes as she stared out the window again.

"Ah."

She only nodded in response, her breath fogging the glass as she pressed her nose against the cold barrier. Rima felt an uneasiness settle over her, a feeling of emptiness in the air and also in her heart. She heard the strain in Itachi's voice the moment he spoke, trying so carefully to sound as natural as possible. He didn't need to pretend for Rima. It only hurt her more.

"He's gone isn't he?"

His fingers twirled the bottle, filling the silence with the fast clacks of the pill hitting against its confinement. The bed creaked as he made his way to the door. Itachi didn't want to see her face. Not now. Not when everything webbed so carefully around her was going to break. Because of him. He could only manage to croak out a 'sorry' as tears cascaded down Rima's face.

Escape was the only thing on Rima's mind. Somewhere far. Somewhere hidden. Somewhere…

She opened the window, and chased the wind swept blossoms. Her head pounded with blood. A steady beat.

Thump…thump…thump…Running away.

_I guess that's all I can do now_.

Her eyes flooded with tears again as she found what she was looking for. A cliff. She only needed to take a few more steps. Will she be able to see him after those few steps? A pebble rolled off, a pin size dot in the long way down.

_Just a little bit further…_ Rima closed her eyes. _This is it. No more worries._ Her feet escaped from the ground. A small squeak emitted from her lips. _No more worr-_

"What the hell are you doing?" A strong arm grabbed her waist, pulling her away from the brinks of suicide. Literally. She turned to glare at her rescuer. Her fury increased as she met face to face with a certain blondie. He backed off, using his tongue infested hands as a shield.

"If you excuse me, I have something to do." Rima replied, quite curtly. Her heels turned, but her body turned back sharply as a hand caught her own. This time, she was enveloped in Deidara's arms but the atmosphere was much different. Rima felt alone and scared. Suddenly the prospect of dying seemed much darker to her; what was she leaving behind? Rima started sobbing quietly in Deidara's arms. She didn't care who she was with anymore. Nothing mattered anymore. _I don't have anything else in this world._

Deidara raised his hand, wanting so badly to comfort this child, but he couldn't even grasp a strand of her hair. He was afraid that one more touch would ultimately shatter her soul into pieces. Rima looked fragile; her thin shoulders quivered and Deidara knew that without him there, Rima wouldn't even have the strength to stand on her own.

After the sun had long set and the chills of the late evening approached, Deidara finally said, "Let's go back, un." Rima let Deidara move her; she didn't make a single sound or even take her eyes off her feet.

Deidara took her to another room along the vast hallway. Her dead eyes reflected back at her.

"The Akatsuki likes to…collect, I guess, special talents. Mine happened to be my exploding art. I liked it, it was fun, and my parents were proud, un. I was the envy of every art student. I was the envy of every art teacher. My dream was to have my own showcase and performance." He clasped his hands tightly. He chuckled as his tongues tickled his palms.

"I loved my parents. They led me to everything art related as possibly. They tried to showcase me as often as they could, hoping someone would realize my talent and sponsor me. It worked. They caught the eye of the Akatsuki." Deidara laughed darkly. Rima snapped out of her zombie trance; Deidara had paused for a minute, quietly reflecting on his past when a tear had landed on the floor in front of him. Rima, for the first time, felt remorse for the broken man in front of her.

"That's when they decided they wanted me, un." A tears slid down Diedara's cheek, his body shaking slightly as he sobbed silently. Several moments passed before he continued.

"I was in my room sculpting another piece of art to show my parents when he came. Uchiha Itachi. He was very much like what he is now. Silent, quick and cruel. I had no warning, un. I couldn't even feel his chakra. In an instance, he was in front of me while my world disappeared from me. I was asked to join the Akatsuki, and when I refused, I was tortured. I screamed for my parents. Itachi laughed, un.

'They're gone. You have no one left but us.' He said. I tried throwing my clay at him, but everything missed and melted. I couldn't even control my hands." Deidara stopped to sigh, and edited his story. "I was brought here. I locked myself away from everyone, and refused to do the missions they gave to me. Of course the locked door was no problem for them. I was beat so badly once, Kakuzu had to stitch my wounds. After that…I shut myself away from the others again, just mentally. I did what I was told. I murdered innocent people, but not without feeling guilty, un." This time, Deidara laughed with more enthusiasm. "And I almost walked off the same cliff you just tried to, un! I guess our suicidal preferences are the same." Deidara continued when he saw that it wasn't even in the bit humorous to Rima.

"But after awhile I got used to it. The excessive blood, screaming, and the agony plastered on everyone's face. My past was the past. There was nothing I could do about it. All I can do, and you, is to keep walking forward. You're just rotting yourself away if you don't look past it, un. And…other people need you here." Rima looked at Deidara skeptically, as she scoffed.

"And who, would need me here?" Rima demanded. Deidara looked away awkwardly.

"You'll find out eventually. I don't know why, but I think you remind him of his past. Much more than he can take." He stood up from his chair, and unlocked the door for Rima. He winked at her as he gestured towards the door.

"Hope I changed your mind, un."

"Thank you for sharing, Deidara-san." She smiled, something foreign after listening to such a sad story, but she meant every bit of it. The door closed softly behind her. Deidara leaned against the opposite side of the door, sliding down slowly.

"She's damn cute, un. Uchiha-sama shouldn't be allowed to have her all to himself…"

* * *

She collapsed onto the bed, wondering when Itachi was going to return. Her eyes were drawn to the nightstand next to the bed. She popped the drawer open. Pictures were scattered, some large, some small. They were mainly pictures of a woman. A sudden twinge of curiosity sprouted from Rima.

_A girlfriend...?_

She picked up the largest photo. The woman was very beautiful; her long dark hair looked soft and smooth. Full lips curved upwards, her eyes twinkled in the photograph. A heavy pair of footsteps warned her. She quickly put the picture away, making sure she made not a sound when she closed the drawer. The door creaked open.

"What are you doing here?" Her heartbeat increased. Iciness coated Itachi's question, making Rima shiver.

"I wanted to thank you for taking care me. I didn't know it was you who nursed me back to health." Rima hesitantly responded.

Itachi's eyes moved towards the drawer; a corner a photo was sticking out. Rima jumped up quickly from the bed, attempting to escape from the unimaginable punishment she was expecting. His arm was quick, pulling her back into the door the moment she stepped on the threshold of the door. Rima yelped.

"I'll only say this once: don't mention to anyone what you saw in there." His cold eyes pierced through her, exposing her to his winter hail. She could only nod before she hurried towards her room.

* * *

Itachi shut the door after Rima with much force than he had intended to. The door splintered at the edges. He groaned. With a whoosh, he threw his clothes over a chair, making his way towards the shower. As the rhythmic pounding of water relaxed his sore muscles, it also allowed his mind to wander. Wandering a couple days too far...

Itachi could remember vividly how soft her gaze was when he was lying on her lap, her hands stroking his hair, how she, even for a fraction of a second, resembled his own mother. Not physically, but the aura around her made him want to remain with her, to ask her to stroke his hair like his mother did when he was younger, more naïve about the world. He wanted her to erase all his worries and pain...

He tilted his head up to wash his face.

What on earth was he just thinking about?


	6. Chapter 6

Rima stared at the door. She could hear water running, breaking her train of thought.

_What did I just see?_

Rima was quite sure Itachi had shown his rage when he caught her snooping, but something else had flashed across his eyes. Regret. Pain. Remorse. It had surprised Rima; she hadn't expected those emotions to even register within Itachi.

"Um, I'm pretty sure you won't be sleeping there tonight."

Rima whirled around and found, much to her relief, Kisame. He jerked his thumb to the left of Itachi's room.

"If you're looking for your room, it's down there. It's right next to mine so why don't I take you over?" he smiled, revealing a full row of pointy teeth. The very sight of them sent shivers throughout Rima's body.

With a short glance at Itachi's room, Rima obediently followed Kisame. They stopped in front of a door, similar to every other one in the hall, and Kisame produced a key from his cloak pocket. He inserted the key, turning with a small _click,_ and pushed the door open.

The room was bare. Although the walls were painted a rich maroon color, the space was sparsely furnished. There was a heavy mahogany four poster bed in the center of the room and not much else except for a brass ornate lamp next to it. Rima walked in, her shoes clacking loudly against the hardwood flooring. Another door was located on the east side of the room, which she found out to be a large bathroom.

_This is ridiculous_, she thought as she saw a claw foot tub complete with gold accents and an intricate sink.

Kisame cleared his throat, bringing Rima back to the bedroom.

"If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask me. Since we're next door neighbors."

Rima blushed slightly at his generosity.

"I won't...", Rima replied in a shy voice, "…thank you for everything, Hoshigaki-san." She bowed deeply to Kisame. He could hear a deep chuckled.

"Well, I hope you have a good night…?"

"Hatsurima. Osuri Hatsurima."

He smiled, producing an aura different than the other times he had smiled at Rima. It was full of warmth. He started out the door, turning one last to Rima.

"Well then, good night Osuri-san."

Rima smiled. An unfamiliar action. "Good night, Hoshigaki-san."

As soon as Kisame closed the door softly, Rima ran straight to the bed and buried herself in the voluminous covers. Her heart thumped audibly in the empty room and her ears burned.

_Uchiha-san and Hoshigaki-san are so different…_

Rima took a deep whiff of the covers, noting a masculine scent mixed in with fresh detergent. Her mind rewinded back to when she was in Itachi's room yesterday.

_This is the same scent as the one in his room. He must have slept here while I was ill…_

Her mind wandered around the foggy memories, trying to make sense of Itachi's actions. His cold eyes chilled her ever since he first spoke to her. He was a man ofvengeance. He wasn't supposed to care for anyone.

_And yet he did...and of all people, me...why?_

She got up and sighed, eyeing the window. The world outside felt so open compared to her room; Rima felt like a bird in a cage. The dark walls crept up on her and the emptiness fueled her depression.

_Am I to be imprisoned here for the rest of my life?_

The moon shined brightly as if to make light of her predicament but Rima couldn't help but be captivated by it. She sat on the window bench, admiring the moon's luminescence. Rima was drawn to this quiet but bright world...

Itachi tossed and turned in his bed. He couldn't get _her_ out of his head.

_Osuri Hatsurima_.

Her lingering vanilla scent didn't help dispel his thoughts. He groaned and sat up. The moon shone brightly through his curtains. He pushed them aside and let the moonlight flood his room, giving it a psychedelic appearance. Sitting on the bench, he let himself loose in his sudden nostalgia…

Blood flooded the streets he had walked every day of his childhood. A fewacquaintances lay slaughtered near the store Itachi had always spent countless afternoons talking with them. He could remember how it felt when he entered his home with stained hands and how he had to seal away every last drop of regret and mourning in his heart. The red liquid had stained the mat he and his father had replaced the month before, with Itachi's little brother interrupting every minute.

_Sasuke..._

He looked down at his hands and gagged. His hands were dripping with blood. The blood of his friends, family, teachers...

He snapped the window open, allowing the cool air to clear his mind. His frantic heart slowed down as he breathed in the night air.

_What a mess I am._

A sad melody floated to Itachi's ears as he sat quietly in the moonlight. The voice rang clear in the night, perfectly assisting the moonlight in its nightly serenade to the Earth. He sighed and closed his eyes, letting the melody take him away to the subconscious.

_Rima…_


End file.
